Submitted by Michael Laughton, Westboro Beach Community Association board member
With increasing intensification and our community becoming a mix of apartments, condos, high-rises and older single-family homes with yards, the environment is right for people without land to pair up with people with land to build vibrant, sustainable and green communities.
Such is the essence of garden sharing: two people—an owner of the land and a gardener (who doesn’t own land)—agree to share a portion of the owner’s property. The garden partners can tailor their agreement to fit their mutual needs. Anything can be grown in these gardens, but, often, vegetables and fruits are planted.
Now is the key time to establish a garden sharing partnership and plan a garden, so that when the snow melts, everything is in place and the seeds can go in the ground.
Why garden share?
Someone may engage in garden sharing because they:
• Have no land and want access to land;
• Have land and desire but no time/no energy/no skill;
• Desire hyper-local fresh produce;
• Enjoy the therapeutic act of gardening and appreciate all things that grow;
• Wish to strengthen our pollinator habitat; and,
• Desire community.
Garden Sharing Network – Westboro is an initiative launched by the Westboro Beach Community Association (WBCA) and seeks to connect people who have land but cannot garden with those who desire to garden but do not have access to land. You can find out more by visiting “Garden Sharing Network – Westboro” on Facebook and joining the group.
